Why did people in the Bible live so long, Rudy Revak, an American entrepreneur, wondered some time ago. Moses, for example, lived to be 90. He concluded that it was in the food they ate, like wheat, aloe and extracts from the sea.

And don’t forget red wine, which has its nutrients.

Revak went on to found his company in Austin, Texas, Symmetry, a transnational wellness and nutritional firm, and its major product—and consistent bestseller—is called, appropriately, Genesis, so named because it was inspired by the Bible.

Genesis is a mélange of whole fruit red grape, quite sweet, and whole fruit pomegranate with a mixture of apple and aloe vera juice. It also comes with a blend of superfoods and healing herbs.

Symmetry has an array of other products, including Ultra Vitality Crystals, UV NutraPack, AceAloe+, herbal and nutritional supplements, daily nutrition for kids, a dietary supplement, an energy booster for men, Advanced Omega, Opti-Breathe capsules for the respiratory system and even “mind-support for students,” Future Star.

Revak and his wife, Pamela, a Fil-Am, were in town recently to celebrate Symmetry Philippines’ (www.symmetrydirect.com) 16th anniversary. And they presided over a mini-press conference held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Pasig City.

Also present were Elizabeth Añana, Symmetry Philippines general manager, and four business partners of the firm: Dr. Manuel Flores and his wife, Ellen, three times adjudged Entrepreneurs of the Year by the Direct Selling Association of the Philippines (DSAP); Katherine Magsino; and Estrella Wood.

The genesis (pun not intended) of the company’s name is a quotation from a Christian publication, Guide Post: “Prayer Brings Symmetry into your Life.” And the word symmetry, of course, denotes harmony and balance.

You will not find the products of Symmetry in the drug stores and supermarkets, but only through the business partners, the authorized persons who are the direct sellers, Symmetry being a member of DSAP.

Symmetry has 19 offices worldwide and 25 other markets without an office. “We don’t select the market,” Revak says. “We follow the business partners. We give people a chance to earn as much or as little as they want, from a few hundred dollars to more. Some start part-time then decide they want to go full-time.”

Añana shares that “the DSAP has listed us among the top ten (direct selling) companies in paying taxes.”

During the press con, the direct sellers provided testimonials on the various products of the company.

Wood says she had a derma problem for many years, then tried for Symmetry products and “the skin problem was gone forever.” She makes P100,000 a month by selling the products. Some of these are returned, however, because the doctors or the families of the buyers do not approve.

Ellen Flores used to teach at a Manila university, and made good money selling the products, which helped build up the stamina of her students. Based in Baguio City, she is now almost full-time as a direct seller, earns P50,000 a month and could earn more were it not for the costs incurred in training people, including senior citizens.

Her husband, Dr. Flores, a general practitioner, suffered chest pains and hypertension, was introduced to Symmetry and “I am now off pharmaceuticals and drugs.”

Magsino has a congenital heart ailment and it is not something that will just go away. But with Symmetry products, “I feel better.” And—get this—she earns P400,000 a month “more or less” just from being a direct seller.

“We give the body what it needs, basically nutrition,” Revak concluded. “It’s just food. We offer a lifestyle, not just the money. It’s about the lifestyle as well as the money. It’s important to have a good life, enjoy it, not just make money.

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